Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?
by New Decade
Summary: There is one riddle Calleigh can't solve, but someone special may have the answer. Takes place a little before 8.14.


_11 P.M…_

Calleigh had only been certain of one thing throughout her years of living, something she had discovered about herself at a young age and it was the one asset she could rely on; her intelligence. Perhaps she wasn't Einstein or Galileo, but Calleigh had the ability to learn and problem solve. She would take the weighted classes and stay up late studying, determined to pass every test. She relied on her brains to get her out of the Darnell household in which she grew up, earning scholarships and excelling in college. Even now, her job challenged her brain with positive results. Calleigh was smart and it was one of the few things she could take pride in, that and her gun skills.

She could put the pieces of the puzzle together (no matter how scattered they were), she could solve the crime (no matter how complicated) and think her way out of any situation that arose (no matter how challenging), so how come she couldn't figure out _this_?

The night began as an innocent drink between two friends as a way to catch up and had manifested itself into a night of kisses, caresses, passion and the question of how something they know was wrong feel so damn right.

The night had began normally, but normal and Miami never linger together for long.

* * *

><p><em>Two hours before…<em>

The room, actually the entire house, was still. Anyone who passed the house tonight would have guessed it was uninhabited due to the lack of light resonating from the house. But everyone at CSI knew one basic rule: just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it wasn't there.

The same rule applied tonight, there was light in Calleigh's house, but only one. She was leaning against her headboard of her bed, the lamp beside her sending a glow around her and the mattress. Sighing in defeat, Calleigh put down the manila folder that consisted of notes for court. The trial wasn't even for another week and she had already memorized everything, if any defense attorney attempted to weasel his client out of trouble, Calleigh knew the exact words she'd use to put him back in.

Unfortunately, the night was still young and the case wasn't the least bit distracting from the silence that surrounded her; nothing was and she had done everything she could to distract herself. Calleigh had read practically all the books she had purchased but never had the chance to read, mostly sticking to the Agatha Christie mystery novels and keeping herself at bay from any romance; romance wasn't exactly her favorite genre right now and didn't want to associate it with anything.

Ever since she and Eric had went their separate ways, Calleigh had been in a rut. Her level of cheerfulness did drop a significant amount after he left her alone in the locker room. If anyone at work had noticed her change in behavior, they failed to comment and Calleigh was most grateful for that. Coming home was worse, especially the first few nights when Eric's memory was still fresh. But Calleigh was glad she knew how to adjust quickly to new surroundings and she had been getting used to coming home, even sleeping in the bed, with Eric not being there. She had thought she had been doing well until Eric came to the crime scene a few weeks ago.

Suddenly, all attempts at getting over Eric didn't matter, at least not while at work. She was glad he was at the scene that day, just like old times and some of her optimistic attitude became restored. Though she knew it wasn't even remotely the same and nothing like the old times, it felt good to have him around and to talk to. She had thought, when she first found out he was coming to the scene that it was going to be hard, even a bit awkward.

But in fact, it was good for their relationship. Up until that day, they had had zero contact with each other, both obeying the boundaries that had been created. Then they were tossed back into working with one another, but also against each other in a way. They both realized then they had not only lost each other as a relationship, but their friendship; the friendship ties that lasted over ten years had been thrown away and almost forgotten if it hadn't been for that one case. Now, they had been attempting to start re-building. They would call every now and then, talking anywhere from minutes to hours. They had even taken the step to having lunch together; mostly it was a celebration of him getting the job with the State Attorney, but it was still their first meal together in the longest time.

Though their relationship was getting better, it wasn't the same and Calleigh knew that it probably never would be. For now she was glad they were making progress as friends again, but knew that it was a fine line to be walking, one wrong word could throw the train off its track and ruin everything.

Which was why Calleigh was getting apprehensive about picking up her phone and dialing his number, especially after they had already talked twice this week for several hours. They were already pushing the envelope and she couldn't stand the thought of jeopardizing anything…he meant too much to her to risk it, end of discussion. She could handle one night of silence and emptiness; it was only ten hours until dawn.

Though she normally considered herself a night owl, Calleigh figured it would be best to get some rest early; the sooner she got to sleep, the sooner morning would be and the sooner she could go back to work to distract herself. She got off her bed and went to pull out some nightwear from the chest of drawers. She had a camisole and shorts to match in hand and was about to start changing when her cell phone rang from inside her pocket.

Odds are it was going to be work, even though the nightshifts were on duty now, someone probably needed her as a consult or to discuss a case. Calleigh pulled the phone out of her pocket, the caller ID read someone's name she didn't expect, but was grateful to see…Eric's.

With a smile, Calleigh pressed 'accept' on her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hey," she greeted him, unable to contain the happiness in her voice.

"Hi," he said on the other end of the line, a smile clearly on his face as well.

On the phone with him now made all her fears about calling him seem rather silly, though she knew this held risk. Calleigh was still aware this was causing them to walk a thinner line, though they wouldn't fully realize it after they hung up the phone, but all the negative results in her mind eluded her for the moment. For now, she was talking to Eric and that was all she cared about.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Okay," Calleigh shrugged a shoulder. "How about you? Have you started at the State Attorney's?"

"Not yet, I start next Monday," Eric explained.

"Well, good luck," Calleigh said, knowing this job was better suited for him than working with the defense.

"Thanks. How are the new guys at the lab working out?" he asked.

Calleigh smiled at how comfortable they had become as friends in the short space of time; at least they were at the point of making small talk instead of trying to rush through an awkward conversation. But they hadn't talked about their relationship yet or how things have changed, but when they did Calleigh knew that would be the conversation that could potentially screw it all up; all the more reason she was delaying it.

"Good," Calleigh nodded. "Walter and Jesse are good CSIs."

"Glad to hear it. What are you doing?"

"Nothing much, just finished up looking over for a notes for court."

"You've got court tomorrow?" he asked.

"No," Calleigh shook her head. "Next week."

"Becoming an overachiever on me, Cal?" Eric asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, come on, Eric. You know me, I've always been an overachiever," she smiled, sitting back down on her bed. The bed they had spent so many nights in together, the bed in which they made love and slept in after the "traditional American dinner" she had made him. The same bed they were in the night before she had shot at him while he and Sharova drove away…the night before everything had changed.

"True," Eric agreed, a laughable tone still present in his voice.

"So what's up?" Calleigh asked, thinking that maybe there was a certain reason he would call at this time of night for something more than chitchat.

"Nothing," Eric replied. "I just thought we haven't talked in awhile."

"We talked two days ago," Calleigh chuckled. The way she was saying this could have been interpreted as her thinking this was negative, the total opposite of what she was truly feeling. "But I guess that could be considered as awhile in a few cultures."

"Apparently, I fall into that certain culture," Eric sighed, Calleigh could almost seeing him rolling his eyes as he made the joke.

"But you know if you would come with me and the rest of the team for a drink you could probably get over that," Calleigh pointed out, trying to remember the last time they had all went out for a drink together.

"Want to go out right now?" he asked.

Calleigh was slightly taken aback, her logical side was commanding her to decline; they had barely been on the phone for a minute and the mood was already turning flirtatious, a direction opposite in which she wanted it to go. But the side that was dominant, for that side missed Eric with every fiber within her, was telling her he just wanted to go out for a quick drink and a chat face-to-face. For one night, she and Eric could have a nice time as friends. For one night, things didn't have to be complicated. For one night, she could screw logic.

"Um…sure," she stuttered, she had to take a deep breath to stabilize herself. "Brennan's sound good?"

Those inviting words were all that was needed to set the ball in motion.

* * *

><p><em>11:01 PM…<em>

Drinks and a friendly reunion led to the two pulling up in front of Calleigh's house, then she invited him inside and ecstasy and lust overcame them.

Their arms were locked securely around one another, their bodies lost in the mess of sheets. Their legs were intertwined, Calleigh's body pressing up against Eric's, their bodies bare and the heat of his skin made her blood travel faster through her body than she would have thought possible. Her left hand was holding his right at the center of his chest and her head resting on his shoulder of the arm that was wrapped around her. His hand was traveling from her waist, over the skin of her torso to the curvature of her breast and back down again.

_Screw logic… brilliant idea, Duquesne, _Calleigh thought. Logically, everything made sense as to why this was wrong. They were not together, this was the most intimacy they had experienced with one another in months and only recently were they on speaking terms again. They had crossed the line and there was no way to withdraw the movement. This could jeopardize any chance of gaining normality in their complex relationship.

Yes, it was wrong, but she wasn't regretting any of this. She was worried about the outcome, but certainly not what she had just experienced. Calleigh laid in the silence, wondering why she felt this way, how something so constructive could bring her such bliss. There was no reasonable explanation her mind could concoct for their actions, all she had to justify her actions—to use a cliched term—is she thought from her heart rather than her head.

"Are you still awake?" Eric asked, his voice soft.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice matching his volume.

His hand ceased running up and down her body, instead he tangled his fingers in her hair as he turned his head slightly to put his lips to her forehead. Calleigh smiled, the kiss felt natural, almost as though the last several months never existed, vanished with a nod of a genie's head.

Eric sighed as he leaned away to look at the angelic face and the moon beams that gave her skin a beautiful gray appearance, until tonight he thought he would never see her face in the moonlight again, inches from his own. But this night wasn't the same as others, nothing close. Back then, Calleigh had been his girlfriend, he had been certain their relationship was indestructible and the concept of them separating was one he never gave much thought you…he never thought it would happen. But it had and now this night had been nothing more than sex, wanting to fulfill the desire of wanting to be with each other one final time. Eric still had strong feelings for Calleigh, she was the first woman he ever truly saw himself having a future with. But life was complicated enough as it was, that had been his primary reason for leaving their relationship in the first place, and he didn't want to risk hurting Calleigh were life to get in the way.

Clearly, he had strayed from the plan and had just made his life more complicated.

"Maybe I should go," he whispered.

But they were in too deep at this point; neither truly wanting this to end but both knowing this couldn't mean anything.

"No," Calleigh shook her head, shifting her weight to rest on his chest, hands folding beneath her chin. "We both know this won't happen again, so maybe we should make the most of it."

Eric would only have a few more hours with Calleigh and he wasn't about to waste them by arguing. He took her face in his hands and guided her lips to his.

* * *

><p>Eric awoke the next morning, the sun shining through the window and baking his skin. He then realized his arms were empty; eyes still closed, he stretched his arm across the bed, seeking Calleigh, but only feeling cooling sheets beside him.<p>

"Cal?" he asked, his heart sinking to know that morning definitely arrived and accepting he and Calleigh were going to return to their old way of life.

"Right here," she said; Eric finally opening his eyes to see Calleigh dressed in her usual work attire and coming towards him as she attached the back to her earring.

She took a seat on the bed, looking down on him as she took his outstretched hand in hers. Calleigh's fingers slipped easily through the spaces of his and he gently pulled her towards him.

"I have to go to work," she sighed, sadly, her fingers touching the side of his face, the tips brushing against the stubble of his cheek.

"I know," he whispered. Eric had half a mind to ask her to stay, call in sick for once in her life to spend a few more hours with him. Just a bit longer for him to hold her in his arms, to kiss her and run his fingers through her field of golden hair as they moved around the bed, moans of pleasure escaping their lips. But the knowledge of the dangerous line they were walking stopped him and he merely held onto her hand a little bit more.

"No strings, no repeats, right?" Calleigh asked, letting the hand on his cheek fall.

"Right," Eric nodded.

The corners of her mouth twitched, but a smile didn't form. "Umm…" she said. "There's coffee and cereal…just help yourself…. Could you lock the door on your way out?"

"Sure thing," he promised. "I'll see you around?"

"You will," Calleigh assured him, giving his fingers a final squeeze before pulling away and standing up. Eric's eyes followed her as she rose from the bed, walked gracefully across the room before stopping at the door that lead into the hall to give him a final smile and then she disappeared altogether.

They had said the first time that happened would be the last. So Calleigh couldn't figure out why it _did _occur again or why it kept happening.


End file.
